Burglar-trapping mechanism



P. R. FRAILEY Cct. 8, 1929.

BURGLAR TRAPPING HECHANISM Filed April 28. 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet l DI] CD3 IIB Em CDCDDCED .WNS

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 P. R. FRAILEY BURGLAR TRAPPING MECHANISM Filed April 28, 1927 HHHIHII ly Oct. 8, 1929.

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Patented Oct. 8, 1929 UNITED STATES! PATENT OFFICE BURGLAR-TRAPPIN MEGHANISM Application filed April 28,

rlhis invention relates to burglar trapping mechanism olf a type adapted tor use generally and for :instance on box cars, baggage cars, banks, and rooms generally.

It is aimed to provide anovel construction whereby a burglar or intruder will be held by means engaging the leg and operable automatically by such leg, in a humane but positive manner.

Another object is to provide a novel construction wherein a false loor or depressible part is normally held elevated by means included in an electric circuit, which is releasable through the presence andactuation of a burglar to permit descent of the trap door to result in acapture.y

Various additional objects and advantages will be pointed out or become apparent from a consideration of the description 'following taken in f connection with vaccompanying drawings illustrating an operative embodiment.

In said drawings Figure 1 is a view in longitudinal section illustrating my improvement.

Figure 2 is a plan view thereof.

Figure 3 is a view somewhat similar to Figure i showing the part as having been actuated, and a burglar captura-d..

Figure t Ais a plan view, fragmentary, illustrating the lapture ot a burglar.

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5 5 of Figurel, and

Figure is a view showing the electrica part in diagram.

Referring specitically to the drawings the apparatus is to be considered as applicable to rooms, mail cars, baggage cars, or the like, the support for the flooring of which is suggested at A. rllhe flooring is shown as at B, for instance in divided sections, and partly supported by walls or brackets as at mounted on the support A. Due to the separation oi" the Vfloor sections B a space C is provided which accommodates a number of false floor sections D. Such sections appear to the observer as part of the floor and conceal the operating parts. The false floor sections or traps D are carried by brackets 11. Specifically, the sections D are mounted on the 1927. serial No. 187,366.

brackets 11 by means of coil springs 12 and a switch is interposed between the brackets 11 and sections D, consisting ot' contacts 13, fastened one to the bracket and one to the section D and respectively insulated therefrom and normally held separated by the springs 12. f

Solenoids or electromagnets are provided at 14, being suitably mounted as on the support A and their armatures 15 are normally projected so as to engage under the legs 16 of the brackets 11 and thus uphold the latter. Said electromagnets 14 are provided in pairs, two :tor each of the platforms or floor sections D and by means of wires 17 and 18, 65 said solenoids are in circuit with an electric battery 19 or any other appropriate source oi" power. A switch 20 may be located in the wire` 17. lVires 21 extend from the solenoids to the contacts 13. F As result et the construction described, the projecting armatures 15 support and hold the liloor sections D in operative position. lVhen a burglar or intruder treads upon one of the l'loer sections, presuming the switch 20 to be closed, the section D will move relatively to the adjacent br ckct 11 thus engaging the contacts 13 and closing an electric circuit to the battery 19 which energizing the coils 14 will retract the armatures 15 and hence trap section D and bracket 11 will drop to lowermost position as shown in Figure 3. lVhile the trap section D is thus dropping, followed ybv the les' of the burglar means actuate to J b C5 7 grip the leg and thus hold or capture the burglar. To thiscnd sub-looring or supporting means is provided at 22 under the flooring B and mounted lor sliding movement transversely of the flooring and between the latter and the sub-flooring, are gripping bars 23. '90 Said bars are preferably arranged three together andseparated in such arrangement by flanges Q4 on the flooring and sub-flooring as well shown in Figure 5. Each bar individually moves but is normally held retracted since the legs 1G are in their paths as well shown in Figure` 1. A sliding movement is urged by means of weights or the like as at 25, connected by flexible elements 26 tothe bars and trained over Guide aulle Ts 27 suit- 100 CIJ Cri

ably journaled on the sub-llooring 22. It will be understood that there is a. separate weight 25 and element 26 and guide 27 for each bar 23.

The bars have ratchet teeth as at 28 and coacting therewith are vertically slidable pins or pawls 9.9 mounted in suitable openings in the flooring.

The floors or trap sections D may control any desired number of the bars 23, and for instance as shown in Figure e may control nine on each of the opposite sides thereof.

Presuming a trap section D and bracket ll to be in lowermost position as previously traced and as shown in Figure 3, the bracket ll and all parts will have moved from across the adjacent bar 23 whereupon the weight 25 will slide such bars toward each other so that the leg of the burglar as shown in Figure 3 will be engaged and he will be trapped. As shown in Figure et, it will be seen that some of the bars will most likely catch on opposite sides of the leg and that other bars will directly engage the leg, the fact that the bars are relatively thin enabling them to adapt themselves to the shape of the leg. The engagement of the bars with each other` or with the leg of course arrests movement thereof and they are locked in such position by the M automatic descent of the pawls 29 into engagement with the teeth 28.

lt may be mentioned that the movement of the trap floor sections D relatively to the brackets is limited by means of angle irons 30 and is guided by pins 3l depending from the sections D and loosely extending through openings 32 of the bracket l1. Also the armatures 15 areguided through openings 33 in the walls l0.

It is to be understood that the pins or pawls 29 and adjacent ends of the bars 23 or any of the other parts are not exposed but are concealed to view in any suitable manner.

T\7arious changes may be resorted to provided they fall within the spirit and scope of the invention.

lWhat is claimed is l. In a trapping mechanism of the class described, trap means displaceable under weight of an intruder, trapping bars normal-,ly prevented from movement by said trap means, means urging trapping movement ofthe bars, electrically controlled means normally preventing displacement of the lirst mentioned means and a switch in an electric circuit with the second mentioned means adapted to be closed through the medium of suoli weight to cause the electrically controlled means to release the trap means for displacement.

2. i trapping-mechanism of the class described havinga bracket displaceable through the weight of an intruder, trapping means normally prevented from movement said bracket, electromagnetic means normally maintaining said bracket against displacement, and a switch carried by said bracket and operable by an intruder, said switch being in circuit Wit-h said electromagnetic means to actuate the lat-ter to permit displacement of the bracket, to release the trapping means.

3. A trapping mechanism of the class described having trapping bars, means to urge movement thereof into trapping position, pawl and ratchet mechanism whereby the bars are held locked in trapped position, trap means displaceable under the weight of an intruder normally preventing movement of the bars,` and electromagnetic means normally preventing displacement of the trap means and having a switch thereon in circuit with the electromagnetic means.

A trapping mechanism of the class described having spaced floor sect-ions, sub-floor sections disposed below the first mentioned floor sections, bars mounted by and slidable intermediate said floor sections and sub-floor sections, a trap member intermediate said floor sections and sub-floor sections, a displaceable bracket intermediate said floor sections and sub-floor sections normally preventing movement of the bars, an electromagnetic means normally preventing displacement of the bracket, a normally open electric switch in circuit with said elect-romagnetic means, said switch being located between said bracket and said trap member and closable under the weight of an intruder, and means to urge locking movement of said bars.

5. A burglar trap comprising a depressible tread plate normally arranged flush with a i'ioor and laterally sliding imprisoning, members no i rally retained below the flooring and operable to imprisoning position over the tread plate upon depression.thereof.

6. A burglar trap mounted in the iloor of a building comprising a depressible tread plate normallv arranged flush with the floor, relatively spaced transverse bars secured to the under surface of said plate, a pair otl complementary gripping plates normally held below the floor by said transverse bars, and adapted to slide laterally into burglar engaging position over the tread plate upon depression thereof and means for locking said plate in burglar engaging position.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

PERCY R. FRATLEY. 

